> WP may be used to produce a hot dense white smoke composed of particles> of phosphorus pentoxide which are converted by moist air to droplets of> phosphoric acid. The smoke irritates the eyes and nose in moderate> concentrations. Field concentrations of the smoke are usually harmless> although they may cause temporary irritation to the eyes, nose or> throat. The respirator provides adequate protection against white> phosphorus smoke.

> In an artillery projectile white phosphorus is contained in felt wedges> which ignite immediately upon exposure to air and fall to the ground. Up> to 15% of the white phosphorus remains within the charred wedge and can> re-ignite if the felt is crushed and the unburned white phosphorus> exposed to the atmosphere.

> Most chemical agents damage the skin by producing a chemical reaction> rather than hyperthermic injury. Although some chemicals produce> considerable heat as the result of an exothermic reaction when they come> into contact with water, their ability to produce direct chemical> changes on the skin accounts for most significant injury. Specific> chemical changes depend on the agent, including acids, alkalis,> corrosives, oxidizing and reducing agents, desiccants and vesicants, and> protoplasmic poisons. The concentration of toxic agent and duration of> its contact primarily determine the degree of skin destruction. When the> skin is exposed to toxic chemicals, its keratinous covering is> destroyed, and underlying dermal tissues are exposed to continuous> necrotizing action.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ummm, folks, in your haste to demonize the US Military, you might wantto consider that the article contains a huge lie.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Andiamo avanti. Questa è la tesi del forumista (la fonte di amalric)

> Whiskey Pete (aka Willie Pete, or Wiley P) kills people by reacting to> the moisture in the skin, and when inhaled, in the lungs and throat.

>It> turns to acid which "burns" the tissue and melts it away. Any burns to> clothing would be from close proximity to the actual burst, which burns> very hot. But mainly the death is in the cloud that spreads over a wide> area about 1/10th of a mile, and anyone that inhales dies like they've> swallowed drano.

Tissue injury from exposure to white phosphorous appears to be caused primarily by heat production, rather than by liberation of inorganic acids or cellular dehydration by hygroscopic phosphorous pentoside. The ultimate result of this thermal injury is often a painful partial or full-thickness burn.-----------------------------------------------------------------------

When actively burning white phosphorous contacts the skin, a painful, necrotic, yellow, chemical burn with a garliclike odor results. Using water may eliminate the oxidation of the phosphorus, but the oxidation process continues once the white phosphorus contacts the skin. In addition, white phosphorus is extremely lipid soluble and readily penetrates the dermal layers. As skin penetration progresses, white phosphorus continues to be oxidized until it is removed by debridement or consumed by oxidation.------------------------------------------------------